Kanon Luces - Christopher N

Email: kanon_luces@endoftheline.chaosdeathfish.com

Little is known about Kanon as a person as he tends to keep to himself, but he is based in a small complex in Union territory, a short ways from its borders with the Pantheon of Discord. As a member of the Honourable Company of Associates, he leads a band of rogues for hire. The Union keeps him around because he gets the job done, but he makes some members uneasy due to the way he has been known to casually treat life and death. However, he seems happy with the freedom his position in the Union has allowed him so far, and does his part if they are ever threatened.

As an odd side note, if he is ever mentioned to members of the Glorious Equation, they tend to go unusually quiet until the subject is changed.

Following the disbanding of his mercenary group, Kanon stays with Miranda and Persephone, dropping off all the interesting parts and devices he has acquired at Hawkins' Laboratories. Kanon mostly keeps to himself, but attempts to convey his gratitude in his own way. In the coming weeks he sets up a school of swordplay at the location of his old mercenary group, and teaches his eager students how to fight. Kanon is a harsh teacher, and occasionally lets his temper get the better of him, but his students learn how to cope with their master, and a few, only a few mind eventually master four scimitars Kanon style, the ultimate in Kanon's defence course.

Not content with merely teaching, Kanon also takes to the streets to dispense his own brand of justice on the criminals he finds, with the help of a series of devices provided by Miranda. While many hate him for it, seeing him take the law into his own hands, he never yields, and always continues to do what he believes is the right thing to do. Occasionally aided by the council and bizarrely CAT, god of cats, Kanon hunts down the scum in the city, dedicating his righteous destruction to Architect, whom he still worships and passes his stories on to his students. Kanon continues to train and fight, preparing for his promised battle with Raednagh.

The murderer runs through the back alleys as if he were pursued by all the armies of the world; no, faster even than that. Little does he know that half of the force chasing him got distracted by a flock of birds a few minutes ago, and forgot about the pursuit. No, even if he did know he would run this fast, if not faster. That man is perhaps even more terrifying when there are no other witnesses. The murderer turns a corner, only to run into the man he was dreading to see: Kanon Luces. Actually, a false description has been made. In actuality, both of the people here are murderers. Kanon grins, and says “Keep running.” He clearly hasn't had enough fun yet tonight. The first murderer sprints off while the second merely laughs to himself: it is always the most satisfying when they think they can escape. He draws his swords and continues the pursuit.

Ten years have passed since the City moved to the moon and broke down the barriers between it and the rest of the multiverse. The Hall of the Gods lies ruined and forgotten on the planet's surface, its gleaming marble and gold surfaces covered in ivy and lichen. As the sun rises over the eastern horizon, a small airship flies down from the skies above, scorched from crossing the planet's barrier. Coming to a halt over the most intact section of the Hall, a hatch opens and a single figure leaps down - Kanon Luces, grasping his scimitars close. The airship flies up, its occupants wanting to watch but afraid to stay close.

Kanon walks through the ruins, looking around for his opponent. Soon, he sees him - leaning against a pillar, tossing his great axe nonchalantly into the air and catching it again, is the crimson God of Justice, Raednagh. Long seperated, the two of them spend a few moments sizing each other up and noticing differences. Raednagh has a rougher edge to him, the look of a life spent with no fixed abode and constant vigilance. Kanon, on the other hand, looks older and more disciplined; the intervening decade have taught him control and tempered his rage into a precise weapon. Having got the measure of the other, both step into the wider, ruined plaza and draw their weapons.

Raednagh goes into the first exchange tense, expecting the frenzied flurry that characterised Kanon before. He's taken by surprise when Kanon instead tests Raednagh's defences with a series of needling strikes before puncturing his guard with two scimitar slashes either side of the god's axe. His blow slices a ragged cut through Raednagh's right arm, and the god curses as he disengages to regain distance and repair.

For all his newfound precision, Kanon knows that Raednagh has the advantage in range and power. Gritting his teeth he vaults over a ruined pillar, trying to close quickly. The god has spent the decade fighting far faster foes that Kanon, however, and spins round his axe to slam the flat of the blade into Kanon. The blow sends Kanon flying back into one of the walls, cracking ribs and leaving him gasping for air. The fighter picks himself up from the rubble, sending a backup pair of scimitars orbiting by his side, and launches himself again at the god. Raednagh steps forward and redoubles his grip on his axe. Both are wearing expressions of complete joy.

The fight becomes a blur of blades and motion as whirling axe and dancing scimitars clash between the combatants. The airship crew spectating from above lose track of the blows avoided and struck, the movement of the two fighters kicking up dust and rubble. Before they can tell what's happening the fighting has stopped and both fighters are kneeling, exhausted and bleeding. Raednagh pulls one of Kanon's swords out of his shoulder and, wincing, hands it back to him. Kanon resets a dislocated shoulder with a swift tug, and with a pained smile tossed the God of Justice some bandages. The two of them limp from the ruins back to the airship, holding each other up.